Communicative Disorders (MS)

Master of Science in Communicative Disorders 
Unit: School of Medicine (GM)
Department: Communicative Disorders
Program Website 
Academic Plan Code(s): CMDSMS

Program Information

Communicative Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) is a well-established program that provides its students with comprehensive academic coursework and robust clinical experiences. Communicative Disorders is a Division within the Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and Communicative Disorders in the School of Medicine. The graduate program offers a unique opportunity to pursue a Master of Science degree to students with and without undergraduate degrees in speech-language pathology.

Preparatory Program

Applications from students without a background in speech-language pathology will be submitted automatically to the Preparatory Program. The Preparatory Program is a full-time, two-semester sequence, beginning each year in the fall (e.g., August).

Core Program

Applications from students who currently hold a bachelor's degree in speech-language pathology or who have completed prerequisite coursework will be submitted automatically to the Core Program. The Core Phase is a full-time, six-semester sequence beginning each year in the summer (e.g., June).

The Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) accredits the program. Graduating students will be eligible to apply for the Certificate of Clinical Competence by ASHA if all requirements are fulfilled (i.e., certification).

The program has cooperative arrangements with numerous schools, agencies, hospitals, and practice groups in the Kentuckiana region.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the Master of Science degree in Communicative Disorders (Speech-Language pathology) must complete at least 54 credit hours at the graduate level, exclusive of credits related to the completion of an (optional) master's thesis, any elective coursework, or courses required to complete ASHA certification requirements.

Please refer to the section on Academic Standing in this catalog entitled "Academic Probation" concerning program dismissal/retention in the program.

Pass/Fail Option

In general, students in the program may not choose the pass/fail option. Certain courses may be offered with this option at the discretion of the faculty.

Comprehensive Exam

Students will complete an eight-hour written comprehensive examination (across two days) during their last semester of study. The completion and defense of a thesis/research project is encouraged but optional. The aforementioned written comprehensive exam is not required for thesis/research project students (outside the defense of their research).

The comprehensive examination/defense must be completed at least five weeks prior to the completion of the student's graduate program. The student is responsible for becoming familiar with the consequences of failure of the written examination. This information is available in the student academic policy manual.

Clinical Practicum

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association requires a minimum of 400 clock hours of supervised clinical practicum in speech-language pathology to be eligible for certification; 325 hours at the Graduate level. All students must have completed a minimum of 25 hours of observation. If these hours were obtained at the undergraduate level, they are not repeated.

Certain prerequisites and standards apply to the clinical practicum component of the program, including minimum coursework requirements, mandatory readings, observations, case report formats, and grading criteria. This information is available in the program office and it is the student's responsibility to become acquainted with these requirements prior to enrolling in clinical practicum.

Falling below a 3.0 GPA in practicum for two consecutive semesters may result in recommended dismissal from the program. Practicum assignments are made at the discretion of the faculty; however, student input is welcomed. 

Admission Requirements

The application deadline for the Preparatory Program with a fall semester start is always the preceding February 1st. The application deadline for the Core Program with a summer semester start is always the preceding February 1st.

Application to the Preparatory Program and the Core Program is now completed via CSDCAS or the Communication Sciences and Disorders Centralized Application System. Applications must be completed and submitted through the CSDCAS Portal. The completed application must be in place by February 1st of the admission year. Application materials received after the listed deadline will not be considered. 

• A separate application to UofL's Graduate School IS NOT required.
• A fee to UofL's Graduate School IS required and will be communicated to each applicant via email once the application is processed in CSDCAS.

Admission Criteria

• CSDCAS Application: Applicants should select either Preparatory Program or Core program.
• Minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
• The GRE is no longer required.
• All applicants for whom English is a second language must also submit official TOEFL scores of 79 or higher on the internet-based test, 213 or higher on the computer-based test. English proficiency can also be met by submitting official IELTS scores of at least 6.5 overall band score from the academic module exam or official Duolingo overall score of 105.  Students holding a bachelor's or advanced degree from an accredited institution in the United States may be exempt from this requirement.
• Applicants must provide three letters of recommendation.
• A formal interview may be required of some applicants. The interview will focus on each applicant's interpersonal/communication skills, resilience, compassion, ethics, and cultural competence.
• A resume is required for admission.
• Each applicant must provide a personal statement/essay of less than 1,000 words.

Student, faculty, and staff in the program are treated in a nondiscriminatory manner without regard race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, or political affiliation. The institution and program comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and executive orders pertaining thereto.

Tuition Information

For more information on tuition at the University of Louisville: louisville.edu/finance/bursar/tuition

Communicative Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) MS Degree - Core Program

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Year 1 students take the CMDS 611 Practicum in Spring OR Fall for a total of 1 unit.  However, to ensure that the minimum total hours align with the hours required for the degree, the course is reflected at 0.5 hours for each term in Year 1.  Students will be assigned to either Spring or Fall CMDS 611 Practicum in Year 1 for 1 unit and will not be required to compete the practicum in both terms.

Communicative Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) MS Degree - Preparatory Program

The Master of Science in Communicative Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) (CMDSMS) program prepares students to meet the requirements for certification and/or licensure.  If you plan to pursue professional licensure or certification you should first determine your state’s criteria for examination and licensure to see how/if our program meets those requirements prior to enrollment. We recommend that you also contact your state’s licensing board directly to verify that the requirements have not changed recently and to answer any questions especially those regarding additional requirements beyond the degree. 

More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website:  https://louisville.edu/oapa/licensure-information (you may search by school or by the name of the program then click on 'View Details' to display the information).